T7 with DRO (Digital Read Out) for Under $100

[BeSharp]

I dedicate one of my T7s for deburring with a 250mm felt wheel and a Frontal Vertical Base. A couple of months ago I built a DRO to read the FVB bar height. This allows me to quickly set the deburring height for most knives (+ 2 degree), for Global (15 + 1.6 = 16.6 degrees), for c!eavers, etc.

Parts List

IGaging DRO $50 CAD
Tormek XB-100 base $40 CAD
Drawer slide $10 CAD
1.5" x .75" aluminum bar stock

[BeSharp]

First, the aluminum block is fastened to the FVB's XB-100 with two machine bolts. The top face is then machined flat with the top of this FVB. This becomes the reference surface for height measurements. I found some older XB-100s to have a rough edge (from casting?). The bottom is used to mount the top of the DRO scale.

The DRO reader (the black rectangular block) is mounted on the second XB-100. I had to machine only about .5mm off the XB-100 for a snug fit.

[BeSharp]

The DRO bottom scale is mounted on a drawer slide so the FVB can be pulled out to the cleaver position. (The orange tape is a visual reminder).

[BeSharp]

I also machined a calibration block 38mm high. Placing it between my reference surface and under the Tormek guide bar (12 mm), the height to the top of the bar is 50 mm. I then zero the DRO. I then simply subtract 50mm off the DRO readings.

On a T7, the DRO readout just fits between the wheel and the T7 without rubbing. It doesn't move because there is a magnet built into the back of the DRO readout. iGaging sells two DRO versions, "Absolute" and "EZ View DRO Plus". I used the cheaper EZ View version (http://igaging.com/ez%20view%20dro%20digital%20scale.html). Accuracy is .06mm, which is good enough for deburring!

This was a trial so I used aluminum. For the next version I will probably use W-1 steel.

[cbwx34]

Clever! 

Years ago, when I first saw just a picture of a Tormek, with the AngleMaster stuck on the side, I thought that it was a way of "dialing in" an angle.  Needless to say, reality was different.

Your creation is one step closer to the dream.... 

[darita]

Just wondering...is there a direct relationship between the height of the USB to base, with USB to wheel?

[cbwx34]

Just wondering...is there a direct relationship between the height of the USB to base, with USB to wheel?

Define "direct relationship". 

If you mean is there a correlation between the two, yes.  Both come from the same base formula.  Here's an example how they relate...



But, if you mean, if the "wheel" measurement shows, for example, a 2mm increase, can I just raise the USB 2mm mesureing from the base?, then no, it doesn't directly relate.

Some of the calculators give both answers, for example TormekCalc, so you can see both.